Coolish morning this morning...had long fingered gloves all the way to work. Had the new wheels on this morning and bike did feel smoother but the engine pistons (legs) didnt seem to want to work all that well.

Last night I was swapping tyres/cassettes onto the new rims. All was going fine until I tried pumping up the last tyre. Had the floor pump connected and commenced pumping - nothing happened, all I could hear was air spilling out. My first thoughts were that the nozzle hadnt got a good grip onto the valve, so tried multiple times on a new effort but still with same result...nada.

So I think maybe its the tube. Pull it all apart and put the tube on the pump and give it a few pumps. All good, takes the air. So put the tyre back on and give it another go...nup nothing. By this time a few choice words are coming out of my mouth. I am really thinking it is due to the pump nozzle just not getting a good grip. But after more multiple attempts and lots more choice words, I pull the tyre off and give the tube another check by pumping it up. This time I give more than a few pumps but the thing isnt getting any bigger. A closer inspection shows that at some stage I have pinched the tube and it has got the tiniest of holes as a result. Relieved that it was the tube and not my efforts. Grab another tube and am a little more careful on the insertion process and whoop de doo, the thing pumps up first go.

gretaboy wrote:Last night I was swapping tyres/cassettes onto the new rims. All was going fine until I tried pumping up the last tyre. Had the floor pump connected and commenced pumping - nothing happened, all I could hear was air spilling out. My first thoughts were that the nozzle hadnt got a good grip onto the valve, so tried multiple times on a new effort but still with same result...nada.

So I think maybe its the tube. Pull it all apart and put the tube on the pump and give it a few pumps. All good, takes the air. So put the tyre back on and give it another go...nup nothing. By this time a few choice words are coming out of my mouth. I am really thinking it is due to the pump nozzle just not getting a good grip. But after more multiple attempts and lots more choice words, I pull the tyre off and give the tube another check by pumping it up. This time I give more than a few pumps but the thing isnt getting any bigger. A closer inspection shows that at some stage I have pinched the tube and it has got the tiniest of holes as a result. Relieved that it was the tube and not my efforts. Grab another tube and am a little more careful on the insertion process and whoop de doo, the thing pumps up first go.

I changed the tube over on the front wheel of my roadie last night for a similar issue - was able to get 120 in it but after 3 hours it'd be down to 60 again. new tube is all good.

Lovely autumn afternoon in Melbourne yesterday, and the paths were predictably teeming with little furry quadrupeds and their bipedal servants. All good though, happy ride.Windy and cool this morning, autumn leaves swirling around in the gusts.Will ride past the LBS this afternoon to pick up my flatbar and drop off the Soma to replace the chain (~9oookm) new QR skewers (the rear worryingly loosens during the ride occasionally - maybe it's being sabotaged in the bike cage!?) and, disappointingly, to replace the rear tyre (not even 5K). On the flatbar the Vittoria Randonneur made 6.5K, but the CX seems to chew through those as well as the Marathon Plus at a faster rate. Wonder if frame geometry has anything to do with tyre wear?Happy Friday!

Winter is here. 2.6•c when I got up at 6 this morning. On with the neoprene shoe covers, skull cup over the ears, winter gloves and dhb winter jacket. The jacket was fine with just a tshirt underneath Was a beautiful crisp morning and had already warmed a few degrees by the time I got to work.

It was a convoy of bicycles on the way home yesterday as a fair few of us headed out of the city on the CBD roads. I found my correct place in the speed line (no way am I sitting behind a slowpoke - this is meant to be exercise for me!), did a bit of semi-drafting (and I'm pretty sure a guy behind me was drafting me) and had an enjoyable ride home (no-one overtook me = win!). I also replaced the batteries in one of my front lights (I have another USB light that also gets used). I didn't remember it went that bright...

This morning had a strong headwind as well as a few side gusts and I'd forgotten how unpleasant a headwind was. I was struggling as this wind added to my muscle tiredness from a week of running, swimming and cycling - bring on the weekend! The morning wind was strange as it felt like a spring wind (a 'Mary Poppins - it's time to move on' type wind if that makes any sense). Combine that with the sun and it felt like a warmish morning considering the cold nights we've been having here in Melbourne.

I had two cars in the two block section where I have to claim a lane pass too closely to me (one being a silver Mercedes driver... again). I think they just don't realise how much room they should be giving. I saw them coming in the rear view mirror so made sure I didn't waver and was in the centre of the lane. Maybe I should engage the wobble a bit more.

Summernight wrote:The morning wind was strange as it felt like a spring wind (a 'Mary Poppins - it's time to move on' type wind if that makes any sense). Combine that with the sun and it felt like a warmish morning considering the cold nights we've been having here in Melbourne.

Same in Tassie, the last couple of weeks have been pretty cool with the odd frosty morning until today. It was quite refreshing to leave the shoe covers off and work into a warm headwind. I'm sure by this evening it will have swung around into an icy southerly to punish me for my lack of clothing.

Cold and foggy early in the morning in brisbane yesterday. Needed the gillet. 1st time on new commuter and self-inflicted puncture (dodgy rear fender install by me). Need to leave work earlier now - left around 5ish yesterday and came across a snake (Kedron Brook Path near everton park/brookside bit under the trees and unlit). Glad to have my 'to see' lights and narrowly avoided it but I did scream like a girl!

Nicer conditions this morning but annoyed at the clicking/knocking sound and trying to work out the source. loctited most of the rack and fender bolts..something for the weekend

Summernight wrote:It was a convoy of bicycles on the way home yesterday as a fair few of us headed out of the city on the CBD roads. I found my correct place in the speed line (no way am I sitting behind a slowpoke - this is meant to be exercise for me!), did a bit of semi-drafting (and I'm pretty sure a guy behind me was drafting me) and had an enjoyable ride home (no-one overtook me = win!). I also replaced the batteries in one of my front lights (I have another USB light that also gets used). I didn't remember it went that bright...

This morning had a strong headwind as well as a few side gusts and I'd forgotten how unpleasant a headwind was. I was struggling as this wind added to my muscle tiredness from a week of running, swimming and cycling - bring on the weekend! The morning wind was strange as it felt like a spring wind (a 'Mary Poppins - it's time to move on' type wind if that makes any sense). Combine that with the sun and it felt like a warmish morning considering the cold nights we've been having here in Melbourne.

I had two cars in the two block section where I have to claim a lane pass too closely to me (one being a silver Mercedes driver... again). I think they just don't realise how much room they should be giving. I saw them coming in the rear view mirror so made sure I didn't waver and was in the centre of the lane. Maybe I should engage the wobble a bit more.

My word! - a strong head wind is a definite understatement for this morning in Melbourne! I ride due north (21km return) to work and right into this 50km/hr+ northerly today. My legs were already cactus after our Tuesday lunch 20km timetrials at work, as I only had the 'obligatory' fixed gear this week (as my roadie was in the workshop). Almost got knocked over to a tree but into its branches by one of those side gusts! Lucky it wasn't Gippsland as they have weather warnings for 110km/hr gusts!!!http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/warnings/severe.shtml

Was having a rather leisurely commute in this morning when 2km in, the bottom plate where the shoe cleat locks into my RH pedal falls off - and it appears that the screws that hold this piece onto the pedal have sheared off. I was able to clip into the other side of the pedal to finish the commute, but upon closer inspection once getting to work i see that one of the two screws that hold that retainer on the pedal are also sheared off, so it looks like that side is about to fail too. Looking forward to doing the retro raturday tomorrow, so i'll be pulling the spd's of the mtb to use on the roadbike...

My commutes of late have been pretty much routine. I've extended my ride slightly and I'm up to 294 kms for the week so far.

I was having lots of problems with my rear carrier with the extensions that bolt onto the frame. The original aluminium ones bent and broke. The mild steel ones that I replaced those with bent and the 3/16" mild steel bolts sheared. I've replaced that now with some heavy stainless strips and 5mm hi-tensile bolts. After almost 500 kms nothing sems to be moving so (fingers crossed) the problem might be solved.

The mornings of late have been magnificent.

It would not be at all strange if history came to the conclusion that the perfection of the bicycle was the greatest achievement of the nineteenth century.

Summernight wrote:It was a convoy of bicycles on the way home yesterday as a fair few of us headed out of the city on the CBD roads. I found my correct place in the speed line (no way am I sitting behind a slowpoke - this is meant to be exercise for me!), did a bit of semi-drafting (and I'm pretty sure a guy behind me was drafting me) and had an enjoyable ride home (no-one overtook me = win!). I also replaced the batteries in one of my front lights (I have another USB light that also gets used). I didn't remember it went that bright...

This morning had a strong headwind as well as a few side gusts and I'd forgotten how unpleasant a headwind was. I was struggling as this wind added to my muscle tiredness from a week of running, swimming and cycling - bring on the weekend! The morning wind was strange as it felt like a spring wind (a 'Mary Poppins - it's time to move on' type wind if that makes any sense). Combine that with the sun and it felt like a warmish morning considering the cold nights we've been having here in Melbourne.

I had two cars in the two block section where I have to claim a lane pass too closely to me (one being a silver Mercedes driver... again). I think they just don't realise how much room they should be giving. I saw them coming in the rear view mirror so made sure I didn't waver and was in the centre of the lane. Maybe I should engage the wobble a bit more.

My word! - a strong head wind is a definite understatement for this morning in Melbourne! I ride due north (21km return) to work and right into this 50km/hr+ northerly today. My legs were already cactus after our Tuesday lunch 20km timetrials at work, as I only had the 'obligatory' fixed gear this week (as my roadie was in the workshop). Almost got knocked over to a tree but into its branches by one of those side gusts! Lucky it wasn't Gippsland as they have weather warnings for 110km/hr gusts!!!http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/warnings/severe.shtml

Ha, I hear engaging the wobble is effective on roundabouts too.

Yep, that Northerly on Friday morning was something wasn't it? I ride to work along the beach so I know all about wind, riding North in the morning and South in the arvo does you no favours in Melbourne. Going home was far more pleasant!

Summernight wrote:I took some photos after the office worker wanted to touch it. Not in position, sadly (for you, not for me ). I don't think my chest area is big enough to warrant a squiz.

it is refreshing summernight that you are willing to have a joke and not be upset by us males....you come across as an alright lady

You guys obviously know Summernight well enough to know that no offence would but taken there, but I would caution you to consider how others may interpret it too. As someone who doesn't follow this thread/forum closely, I don't have the context of any prior banter. As such, this interchange read a smidge creepy to be honest. At the risk of overplaying this, cycling needs more female participation, and would be healthier if it wasn't so "blokey". Forums such as this offer great advice and support to newcomers and I'm sure you'd agree that we want it to be this way. So please think about how your comments (harmless as they may be to 1 individual) may be viewed/interpreted by other women/people new to the forum.

Please don't take this as an attack on anyone. I've read it a couple of times, and it is pretty harmless, particularly as an suggestive inference only, and accepted as humour by all parties, but the first time I read it, it did surprise me a little. So its just an observation from an outsider as to how these comments may come across to others. I am a bloke too BTW, albeit probably a boringly prudent and overly sensitive one

Friday's commute home took me past the LBS to drop off the Soma for some new bits and collect the flatbar, which had a new chain and rear sprocket fitted.Rode the flatbar past my brother's place for the usual Friday catch-up, then home without incident.This morning's commute was the coldest yet this year - 5C at 4:30am, and I'm pretty sure it got even colder along the creek trails. Toes were pretty well chilled.The Soma received a new chain, cassette and rear tyre on Friday, and the things were a lot smoother in the shifting department.The tyre they fitted is a Schwalbe Durano Plus (they were out of stock of Vittorias), which, according to the marketing blurb is a higher performing tyre than the Marathon Plus, however, the puncture protection strip is apparently thinner, and the expected mileage is less than for the Marathon Plus. Oh well, we'll see how it works out, hopefully the protection strip is adequate for the routes I ride.

supposedly the local bowling clubs electronic sign was showing 4 degrees this morning...compared to some it may not be cold, but was nice and cool for me. Temp drops a degree or two as I head down the hill out of town into a nice gully, think my voice went up a couple of octaves as a result. Upside of the cold was clear brilliant skies and a glorious morning.

TailWind wrote:The tyre they fitted is a Schwalbe Durano Plus (they were out of stock of Vittorias), which, according to the marketing blurb is a higher performing tyre than the Marathon Plus, however, the puncture protection strip is apparently thinner, and the expected mileage is less than for the Marathon Plus. Oh well, we'll see how it works out, hopefully the protection strip is adequate for the routes I ride.

TW...I have tried the Durano Plus...failed for me on the roads I ride.

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